


The Goblin King

by chrissy_sky, TerraTenshi



Series: Rescue Tim [3]
Category: DCU - Comicverse, DCU Animated, Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-09
Updated: 2012-03-09
Packaged: 2017-11-01 16:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/358889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrissy_sky/pseuds/chrissy_sky, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraTenshi/pseuds/TerraTenshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Lena is jealous of Julian and Batman pays his adopted son a visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Goblin King

**Author's Note:**

> These stories take place in our Rescue Tim verse, we just decided to sort them in their own pocket series. Hopefully it's not confusing.
> 
> On the alluded abortion issue - we had a comment on this so just to be clear, we are not being pro-life versus pro-choice. Every woman has the right to choose what she wants to do with her body. This was totally something that happened in DCU, Lex's wife held their unborn child hostage in order to get things from him. If anything, we're running a commentary on the guano things in DCU.

Their large apartment was quiet and peaceful that night. Jason was, for once, already in bed and not up late working on his various projects. Instead, he was lying flat on his back with a small red-haired child nestled on his chest. Julian was still very small, but Lex brought him often, and Jason was getting a surprising amount of experience handling babies. He found he didn’t mind it so much.

 

It wasn’t merely babysitting. When Lex brought his children to the Watchtower, they were Jason’s responsibility too. It helped that he honestly kind of loved them. The way Julian slept in his arms, like now, made him feel very much at peace. It was so fucking domestic and he loved it.

 

In the adjoining bathroom, Lex was helping his daughter Lena out of the bath and into her pajamas, which was often a task in itself. Jason closed his eyes and listened to them talk.

 

“Conner’s going to share his room with you tonight,” Lex said, and Jason heard the small smooch as the man kissed his daughter’s face.

 

He could also hear the pout in Lena’s young voice when she reacted to that proclamation. “Noooo…”

 

“You'll be more comfortable there, Lena. I'm on the couch tonight.”

 

“Wanna sleep with you an' Jay-papa!” Lena complained.

 

“Jay-papa?” Lex sounded bemused. “When did you start calling Jason that?”

 

Jason could tell the girl was still pouting. She blatantly didn’t answer the question. “Please, Daddy?”

 

Jason felt his face getting warm. He really did not know where the nickname had come from either. It made him feel warm and embarrassingly fuzzy all over though. He thought he knew the reason for it.

 

Lena hadn’t really known her mother. The woman had tried to abort Lena during her pregnancy and Lex hadn’t reacted kindly—because no one, _no one_ messed with Lex Luthor’s children. Lena had been jealous of Julian since he was born, because he was now the baby. She perceived him as getting all the attention and that simply wasn’t true. Jason knew Lex gave both his children attention equally. But she was jealous anyway. Julian also still had his mother, and Lena was likely jealous of that as well. So she wanted to adopt Jason and have a second parent.

 

“Lex,” he called softly so as not to wake the baby. Julian snuffled softly but did not stir.

 

“Hm?” Lex hummed in answer.

 

He was really trying not to blush. “Sleep with me tonight,” he managed to say, heart beating fast with nervousness. He knew it was all too likely that Lex would refuse. Since the incident with Pamela’s pollen, he knew the man was attracted to him, but Lex was _married_. It was so not happening.

 

Lena emitted a happy squeal before Lex could answer, and Jason really did blush after that, cursing his complexion because there was no way the other man wouldn't notice. He tried to calm down but Lex was already walking out of the bathroom.

 

“Are you sure, Jason?” the man asked, his uncertainty plain. Not to everyone maybe, but Jason had been trained by the best fucking detective in the world. He noticed.

 

Jason shrugged awkwardly. “If it makes Lina happy.” It wasn’t about sex, or about how much he was attracted to the bald man, or how much he maybe loved him. There would be _children_ in the bed with them, for fuck’s sake.

 

“Of course.”

 

Lex finished getting Lena dressed for bed, then went to tell Conner what was going on. Immediately, the red haired girl curled up against Jason’s side, and he had his arms full of two tiny children.

 

It really wasn’t as bad as he thought it could be. But that was the really fucked up thing about it—he wanted these children, as well as Conner and Lex, around all the time. He wanted them to be _his_ and they _weren’t_.

 

“Tell me a story,” Lena whispered, her gray eyes earnest and not at all tired.

 

Jason thought as the demanding little princess waited. He really hadn’t been told bedtime stories. His mom had been more likely to sit him in front of the TV with some bargain bin VHS tapes than tell him a story. (Before she would inevitably pawn them for drug money, that is. Then he had nothing but the entertainment he could find for himself. Like stealing tires.) Lex tended to either make them up or read from a storybook, and the children loved either. Jason felt too lazy, or content, to crawl back into his wheelchair or to ask Lex to look for a book.

 

But Lena’s resentment over Julian gave him an idea.

 

“A princess story?”

 

“Mm-hm,” said the girl, “and no babies!” She pouted at the sleeping Julian.

 

“Hm... Is it okay if it has goblins that steal a baby?”

 

She gave that some serious consideration as only a small girl could. “Well… okay.”

 

Jason rubbed Julian’s back as he began. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and much loved princess who lived in a castle with her parents. But even though she had no mommy, she still had two parents who loved her very much. She couldn't remember that, though, because she was jealous of the attention her baby brother received. The princess only wished to be the youngest again and in her sadness, she called on the goblins for help.”

 

Lena was listening intently so he continued. Lex had returned and simply watched from the doorway, while Jason ignored how much the man’s fond expression warmed him.

 

“For the princess knew that, being very beautiful, she had the favor of the king of the goblins. If she asked it of him, he would take her brother away to his castle, and turn the baby into a goblin. ‘Say the right words,’ the goblins said. ‘We will take the baby away, and you shall be free!’ The princess, who only missed her parents' love and affection, said the words. ‘Goblin king, O Goblin king! Take this child of mine far away from me!’”

 

Lena’s eyes widened.

 

“In the morning, the princess found her parents weeping over the empty crib that belonged to her brother. The goblins had indeed taken him away. Her parents called every knight in the kingdom to retrieve their stolen child, but they could not get through the maze that surrounded the Goblin king's castle. In their grief, they held the princess close, and she got exactly what she wanted. She had all the love and attention of her parents once more.

 

“But they were still saddened by her brother's absence, so she tried to make them happy. She played games with them and sang songs and brought them flowers, all the things she had once done before her brother was born. Yet sad her parents remained; they would smile and tell her what a good girl she was and hold her close. Then they would cry into her hair, for they missed their son. The princess asked her parents, ‘Why am I not good enough? Why can't you love me like before?’ Her parents told her, ‘We love you, princess. You are our light in this darkness. We have never stopped loving you. But we love your brother too. We want to have both our children.’”

 

Lena’s pout was back. “But they loved the baby more.”

 

Jason shook his head. “No, Lena. They loved both their children the same. The baby only seemed to get more attention because babies need so much more care than older children. They can't take care of themselves yet. It's not all fun for her parents. They often had to stay up with the baby all night, because he couldn't sleep. And his diapers were always smelly.”

 

The pout remained and Jason kissed her forehead lightly.

 

“I promise you, Lena. Your daddy and I love you just as much as Julian.”

 

So fucking domestic.

 

She held up one tiny finger, her eyes narrowed and stubborn. “Pinky promise?”

 

Jason curled his pinky finger around hers. “Pinky promise.” He was very aware of Lex still watching him.

 

“Okay.” The girl still looked suspicious, however, a true sign that some of the trust issues must have just been genetic to the Luthor line. Jason asked if she wanted him to continue and she nodded.

 

"'The princess also did not believe her parents, but eventually she wanted them to stop crying and decided to tackle the maze. She went in alone, seeking the Goblin city beyond the maze, having many adventures along the way.'"

 

He blushed as Lex got into bed with them, on Lena’s other side but still very close to him. Lena settled with her father’s arm draped over her like a blanket and Julian snuffled softly, shifting.

 

Jason multitasked between soothing the baby and continuing the story.

 

"'The princess said goodbye to her new friends and faced the Goblin king. Though the king offered her many things in exchange for the baby, she decided to take her brother back after all, for the princess realized that she loved her brother as well. She took him back home and they lived happily ever after.'"

 

Not the most dynamic ending ever, but Sarah’s revelation that her dreams did not have power over her, but she over them, did not have much bearing on Lena’s situation. Jason would make it up by showing her the movie sometime.

 

Lena gazed at her brother with thoughtful eyes. Jason found himself starting to yawn, and Lex already looked asleep.

 

“You and Julian and Con all share a bond. You're all siblings, and Lex and I love all three of you.”

 

“Love Con-y,” the girl whispered.

 

“He’s a good big brother,” Jason said around another yawn.

 

Hesitantly, she added, “Love Julie.”

 

Jason kissed her forehead. “He loves you too, Lena.”

 

“Julie love me?” Lena frowned as if she expected an answer, and even poked him in the side, making the baby whimper. “Julie love me?”

 

Lex stirred then, surprising Jason as he pulled his daughter closer to him and cuddled her. He must have been _resting his eyes_ or something irritating like that. Maybe Lex was so damn paranoid he never really relaxed, even in sleep.

 

“He can't talk yet, sweetie. But one day, he will, and he'll be able to say it.”

 

Lena pouted but settled against her father’s chest for sleep. Jason cooed and nuzzled Julian gently until the baby stopped fussing, settling back into slumber, and Jason found himself soon following.

 

-

 

Lena dozed lightly until she was sure her daddy was asleep, then crept out from under his arm. This was tricky because he slept lightly, or so he claimed, but Lena did it _very_ _carefully_.

 

Jason was even easier. All she had to do was remove the hand he had placed over Julian’s back and gently lift him up, then she could climb off the bed near the redheaded man’s legs, where he couldn’t feel it. This made her feel slightly guilty, but she also knew that her daddy promised to fix them some day. She believed him.

 

Her daddy would never lie to her, but she wasn’t supposed to ever listen to anything grandpa said.

 

Julian’s big gray eyes blinked at her as he began to fuss, and Lena took a moment to adjust her hold like daddy had taught her to. Supporting his head and keeping an arm under his diapered rear in the pajama onesie, she carried him into the living room.

 

Lena maneuvered a blanket onto the floor and gently placed Julian down onto it. The baby snuffled and whimpered until he settled back into slumber. Lena left him there before she unlocked the balcony door and tugged it open, having to use both hands on the brass handle.

 

Outside, it was dark, but the Gotham nightlife was in full swing. She could hear car alarms and police sirens in the distance. Once, she had seen a Christmas parade the Joker had crashed from this very window, though the doors had been closed to keep the bad gas out. Jase-papa had held her and spoke over a headset to his team while Lena watched his team get rid of the bad parade balloon and capture the Joker.

 

She hadn’t been able to see the Batman, Jase-papa’s daddy, but she was told he was there too.

 

Once the doors were open, she returned to the baby and sat beside him, legs crossed underneath her.

 

Julian was watching her tiredly, sucking on one of his thumbs. Lena frowned at the action.

 

“Bye, baby,” she murmured.

 

It wasn’t that she hated Julie. But she wanted her daddy to pay attention to her, and it wasn’t fair that he had a mommy and she didn’t. Her mommy had been scary, Lena remembered with a shiver.

 

“Goblin king,” she intoned, just like in Jase-papa’s story. “Goblin king. I wish you would take this baby far away!”

 

Outside on the balcony, Lena watched as one of the shadows moved. It crept in through the open doors and her heart began to race in excitement.

 

It was _real_. The Goblin king was really there!

 

The figure loomed over her. She could not make much out but glittering eyes set near where she assumed its head was.

 

Then the baby started to cry and Lena reacted instinctively, pulling the fussing baby into her lap. This just made Julian cry more, however.

 

-

 

Jason snapped awake as soon he heard Julian crying. Even before he was fully awake, he knew the children were missing and shook Lex awake.

 

The man cursed and ran out of the bedroom, his gun in one hand and his earpiece in the other. “Mercy!” he yelled into it.

 

Jason was already getting himself into his wheelchair, a little harsher on his legs than he needed to be as he got them into place, and pushed himself hurriedly after Lex, heart pounding and adrenaline surging.

 

They did not have far to go to find the children, though. Lena sat with Julian in the middle of their darkened living room, on the floor, and a familiar dark shape was scowling at them all with fierce disapproval.

 

“Goblin king!” Lena told them, pointing her tiny finger at Batman.

 

Mercy came rushing in, flipping on the lights but not before she had her gun pointed at Bruce. The man gave no reaction whatsoever to any of it though, except to possibly scowl harder. Not even a wince at the sudden light, Jason thought bitterly.

 

“Lena!” Lex scooped his children up and got them away from Batman, holding them close, his gun quickly tucked into the back of his pants. Jason knew the safety was on.

 

He moved between his friend and Bruce, noticing that Mercy was doing the same.

 

“Bruce, what the hell?” he demanded, momentarily forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to cuss in front of the babies, and held in a wince for it.

 

He was an adult, he could cuss if he wanted to.

 

“I wanted your help,” Bruce rumbled, eyes narrowing in irritation at Jason’s slip in protocol, the former Robin had little doubt.

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Chill, old man. Lex debriefed Mercy about your identity years before we met, so get over it.”

 

He relaxed though; Bruce wasn’t there to try to drag him back to the mansion. Which had happened before. He wasn’t sure how he would feel if that ever stopped, but now he was replaced by a new kid, so maybe the old man would be too distracted.

 

“Fu—Geez, Bruce, you could call first. It won't kill you. And don't give me that phone tap excuse, my place is clean.”

 

“The line is _not_ secure,” Bruce murmured predictably.

 

Jason had to restrain himself from throttling the bastard out of his home, chair or no fucking chair.

 

He looked back and noticed Lex frowning at his daughter.

 

“Lena, why were you and Julian out here?”

 

She was starting to get teary-eyed, knowing she was in trouble. “Was givin' Julie to the Goblin King! Like in the story!”

 

Jason groaned heartily. That was so not the intent of the story. _Fuck_. Kids!

 

Conner chose that moment to walk out of his room, blinking at them tiredly, his hair an epic display of bed head as it stuck out in all angles. “Wha’s goin’ on?”

 

“Lena was trying to give Julian to the Goblin King,” Jason groused, rubbing his forehead. He was starting to understand Alfred’s frustration over his and Dick’s antics on some level. Maybe it was different because they weren’t small children, or maybe it was all too similar.

 

“Like in the movie? With the muppets and David Bowie?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lena pointed at Bruce again. “Goblin King!”

 

“No sweetie,” Conner spoke around a yawn, “the Goblin King wears tights and sings.”

 

She shook her head firmly. “Goblin King! Goblin King!”

 

“Lena,” Lex sighed in clear frustration. Jason could sympathize. He was trying not to imagine Bruce in the tights. _Good God._

 

“Look, I’m beat,” he sighed, directing the comment at Bruce’s brooding figure. The man was surreptitiously inspecting the living area, taking in fortifications and anything else that the man likely knew already when he had Barbara hack into his systems. As if Jason didn’t know. “Can you come by in the morning? We’ll go over it then.”

 

Bruce nodded and slipping out. Jason allowed himself a brief feeling of warmth that Bruce had come to him for help at all. Maybe the man was finally accepting him as an adult out on his own and Jason wouldn’t have to cut the crazy bastard out of his life completely. He didn’t necessarily _want_ that. Bruce just made it very hard to associate with him sometimes.

 

“Conner, go back to bed.”

 

The teen hesitated. “Need help with the babies?”

 

“We got it.” Then added, “Thanks,” because Bruce had never said it enough.

 

Conner gave a shy smile and wandered back into his room. Lex thanked Mercy for coming so quickly and Jason led the way back to his bedroom. He didn’t think he’d be getting a whole lot more sleep tonight, but he was going to try. Besides, they still needed to deal with Lena’s latest exploit.

 

The girl was currently pouting about the Goblin King not taking Julian. Lex sighed, lying down on the bed and still holding both children.

 

“Lena, why did you want to give Julian away?”

 

“You love him more!” she cried.

 

“No,” he said gently, “I don’t.”

 

She was starting to cry again, this time in frustration, and hid her face against Lex’s sleeve. “You do.”

 

“Why do you think that?” Jason asked, maneuvering himself back onto the bedding.

 

“Told you. You pay him more attention.”

 

“Babies need more attention,” Lex told her gently.

 

Jason rubbed her back gently. “Lena, we already talked about this. Your dad loves you both, so much.”

 

He gently took Julian back from Lex and the baby settled on his chest again, after some whimpers and sniffles over the sleep that had been interrupted. Julian was really a sweet tempered baby, though with Lena’s behavior, he had every reason to act out more than he did.

 

Jason expected to be woken around three a.m. regardless though. A baby was still a baby.

 

“Please, baby. Don't make things hard on your dad.”

 

Lena continued to pout. “Why does Juli get a mommy and I don't!?!”

 

Jason glanced at Lex uncomfortably, not sure how the man wanted to explain the ex-wives, but Lex was frowning at his daughter sadly.

 

“Oh, sweetheart,” the man murmured, touching her pale cheek.

 

“Why can't Jase be my mommy?” she demanded.

 

“That’s his decision, baby,” Lex said, making Jason stare at him dumbly. Because, _seriously?_ The man chose to ignore his stare though. “You know, sometimes mommies or daddies don't love their babies like they should.”

 

Her lip quivered, gray eyes filling with tears. “My mommy didn't love me?”

 

“She was very sick, sweetheart, and she tried to hurt you because she was mad at me.” The girl sniffed and buried her face in Lex’s chest while he held her close. “But daddy loves you.”

 

Jason petted her red curls fondly. “And I love you too, Lena.” It was true. He hoped the girl would believe him.

 

Lena continued to cry, though, which wrenched Jason’s heart. “I’ll be your mommy, kiddo,” he said at last, giving in, and it as probably inevitable. “If you want me to.”

 

She nodded frantically, leaving her father and cuddling up to Jason instead, clinging like a tiny monkey.

 

He smiled and kissed her hair. “Then I’m your mommy. “It’s a promise.”

 

Both children fell asleep on him. Jason shifted to relieve some of the pressure off his injured spine, finding a comfortable position on his back to fall asleep in. He noticed Lex glancing at him in concern and threw him a smile.

 

“M’fine,” he murmured.

 

Lex nodded and turned on his side to face Jason. They simply looked into each other’s eyes over the heads of ‘their’ children before the teen had to look away, uncomfortable and knowing that if he stared too long, he’d try to kiss Lex.

 

Normally, a couple should have at least had sex before they adopted children, Jason noted wryly. He didn’t even get that much.

 

Still fucking domestic, even if it wasn’t very normal.

 

~ End of this part. More to come ~


End file.
